How Flexible Electrification Can Integrate Fluctuating Renewables

Supply and demand for electricity are central to the decarbonisation of the energy system. To replace fossil fuels, supply of electricity must shift to wind and solar, but due to their variability, fully renewable supply poses a challenge. On the other hand, additional demand for electricity arises to cut emissions in the heating, transport, or industry sector. We analyze how additional demand from these sectors can be flexible to support the integration of fluctuating renewables on the supply-side. The analysis builds on a macro-energy system model with an extensive scope to cover all sectors and high spatio-temporal detail to capture the variability of renewables. Results show that flexible electrification can efficiently provide a major share of system flexibility if incentivized by regulation. Especially electricity demand for the production of hydrogen is flexible, if hydrogen pipelines and storages are deployed to match production with final consumption.